Starting system for internal combustion engines



Jan. 24, 1939. w. o AER E-r- 2,144,786

STARTING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 12, 1936 Muzak/v,

WNW 80 00:

W" w. fiwgu M 8% eMXaxmga- Patented Jan. 24, 1939 STARTING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL OOH- BUSTION ENGINES Walter 0. Baer, Milwaukee, and Edwin W. Seeger,

Wauwatosa, Wls., assignors to Cutler-Hammer Inc., Milwaukee, ware Wis., a corporation of Dela- Application June 12, 1936, Serial No. 84,844

Claims.

This invention relates to starting systems for 7 internal combustion engines.

The invention is particularly applicable to systems for automatically starting Diesel engines of the type having a cranking motor to be supplied with current from a storage battery and agenerator for charging said battery.

An object of the invention is to provide a starting system for Diesel engines of the aforesaid type having improved means for automatically deenergizing the cranking motor upon starting of the engine or upon failure of the engine to start within a predetermined interval.

Another object is to provide a starting system ofv the aforesaid character'which provides for 7 Starting switch 0 and also the operating solenoid 5 of fuel control device 3 are controlled by a pair of electromagnetic relays l0 and II.

A Relay I0 is provided with an operating winding I ll' which is permanently connected across the terminals of generator G and the same is also provided with three sets of normally closed contacts l t N and III which are connected as hereinafter set forth. Relay II is provided with an operating winding II and three sets of normally open contacts li il and il which are connected as hereinafter set forth and the energizing circuit-for said relay is controlled by automatic stopping of the engine upon overheating thereof and also upon failure of pressure in the oil lubricating system of the engine. 1 Another object is to provide a system of the aforesaid character having improved means for controlling the fuel supply for the engine.

, Various other objects and advantagesof the invention will hereinafter appear. I

a The accompanying drawing schematically and diagrammatically illustrates an embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it

being understood that the embodiment illusa tank 2 and having'a fuel control device 3 associated therewith which is normally held in closed position by a-spring l and is movable into a position to. admit fuel to the engine byv a solenoid 5. The engine is provided with a cranking motor M to'be supplied with current from a battery B," a generator G for charging said battery and a pair of normally closed switches 8 and I, the former switch being thermostatically controlled and being adapted to open when the temperature of the water in the cooling system of the engine rises to a given value and the latter switch being responsive to pressure in the oil lubricating system of the engine.

The cranking motor M is controlled by a normally open electromagnetic starting switch ii and the generator G has a normallyopen cutout device 8 associated therewith which isgof the type usually employed in battery, charging systems for connecting the generator to the battery B when the engine is started and for disconnectengine is stopped.

switch 6 and also by a normally open start push button I2, a normally closed stop push button l3 and a timing relay It. A

Timing relay llincludes a switch It biased towards open position by a spring I! and having a latch i8 associated therewith which engages a ratchet wheel lrto normally hold the same in. closed position. Ratchet wheel is is secured to a stationary pin 20 by a solder connection 2| and said ratchet wheel has an electric heater 22 associated therewith which is connected in series with the operating solenoid I of fuel control device 3. As hereinafter set forth, the heater 22 acts upon failure of the engine to start within a predetermined interval or upon failure of pressure in the oil lubricating system of the engine to fuse the solder'connection 2i and thereby release the ratchet wheel I! from pin 20 for opening of switch It. Switch it when opened is adapted to be reset by a manual operating member 23. 1

The operation of the aforedescribed control system and also the circuit connections therefor will now be more fully described.

To eifect starting of the engine, start push button i2 is depressed and circuit is then .established from the positive terminal of battery B through said start-push button, through stop push button it, and temperature responsive switch 6, to and through the operating winding ll of relay II, and through a resistance R. and switch It of the timing relay II to the negative terminal of battery B. Relay ii then responds and the contacts H thereof shunt push button l2 to maintain the operating winding ll energized upon release of said push button. Switch 8 closes upon response of relay ii, an energizing circuit therefor being established from the positive terminal of battery B through contacts [l of relay II and contacts l0" of relay Hi, to and'through the operating winding 8" of said starting switch to the negative terminal of the fuse the solder, connection ii of timing device Q motor M is energized to crank the engine and fuel control device '3 is energizedto admit fuel to the engine. Under normal conditions the engine will then start firing and when the voltage of generator G builds up to a given value operating winding In of relay II which is connected across the terminals of saidgenerator will be energized to effect response of said relay. Relay it in responding interrupts theaforedescribed energizing circuit for starting switch land said switch then drops out to deenergize the cranking motor M. Also when the engine is started the cutout device 9 responds to connect generator G across the terminals of battery B.

Upon starti g of the engine, switch I o'pens in response to p ure in the oil lubricating system of the engine .and solenoid i of fuel control device I is maintained energized by a circuit extending from the positive terminal of battery 3,

through contacts H and I l of relay ii, through a resistance R to and through said solenoid and through heater coil 22 to the negative terminal of the battery. Inclusion of resistance win the energizing circuit of the operating solenoid I reduces the current in such circuit to a value which is sufficient to maintain fuel control device 3 in on position. However, the current in heater coil 22 is reduced to such a, value that the heat generated in said coil is insuflicient to fuse solder connections II of timing switch IS. The

timing device I is thus rendered ineffective upon starting of the engine.

However. if the engine fails to start relay ll remains innormal position and the current in the aforedescribed energizing circuit for solenoid 5 is of sumcient value to cause heater coil 22 to l5 after a predetermined interval. The switch It of said timing device then opens to interrupt the aforedescribe'd energizing circuit for relay II and said relay in dropping out interrupts" the 'a fo'redescribed energizing circuit for starting switch I.

The cranking operation is thus discontinued upon failure of the engine to start within a predetermined interval and before the engine can be recranked it timing device I. I

'As hereinbefor'e set forth, switch 6 to open when the temperature of the cooling .water for the engine rises above a given value and 'is connected in the energizing circuit of relay ll. Thus switch 6 is adapted to act upon overheating of the engine to deenergize relay H and said relay in dropping out interrupts the aforedescribed energizing circuit for fuel control device I to effect stopping of the engine. Switch is necessary to. reset 1 which is responsive to pressure in the ,oil lubrleating system of the engine is connected in shuntv with resistance R in the aforedeacribed maintaining circuit for solenoid 3. Thus if the oil pressure falls during operation of the engine,-

switch I closes to shunt resistance R and thereby increases the current in heater coil '82. The heater coil 22 then acts after a predetermined interis adapted val to cause switch I I to open and upon opening of said switch the engine is stopped as hereinbefore set forth.

In connection with the foregoing it should be noted that with the aforedescribed cranking control system it is only necessary to momentarily depress the start push button I! to effect starting of the engine and to momentarily depress the stop push button II .to insure stopping thereof. On the other hand, it should be'noted that if the heater coil II of timing device II burns out or responsive when energized .to admit fuel to said I engine, of means for simultaneously energizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device to effect startingof said engine and for automatically deenergizing said cranking motor and maintaining said fuel control device energized when said engine becomes self-operative and "means ,associated with said former means for deenergizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device upon'energization of said cranking motor for a predetermined interval, said latter means including. an electro-thermal timingdevice connected in series in the energizing circuit for said' fuel control device.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a cranking motor and an electromagnetically operated fuel control device associated therewith, said fuel control device being normally held in a given of! position andbeing responsive when energized to admit fuel to said engine,. of an electromagnetic relay responsive to establish an energizing circuit for said cranking motor and said fuel control device to eflect starting of said, engine, a second electromagnetic relay responsive to interrupt the energizing circult for said cranking motor when said engine becomes self-operative, and a timing relay for controlling said first mentioned relay to deener gize said cranking motor and said fu'el control device upon energization of said cranking motor fora. predetermined interval, said timing relay being rendered ineffective upon response of said second mentioned relay.

. 3. The combination with'an internal combustion engine havinga cranking motor and an electromagnetically operated fuel control device associated therewith, said fuel control device being normally held in off position and being responsive to admit fuel tosaid engine, of means for energizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device'to-efi'ect starting of said engine and for said fuel control device for controlling said relay.-

' 4. The combination with an internal combustionenginehavingacrankingmotorandan electromagnetically operated fuel control device associated therewith, said-fuel control device be- 1 ing normally held in off position and being responsive to admit fuel to said engine, of control means for energizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device to effect starting of said engine, an electro-thermal relay associated with said control means and responsive to deenergize said cranking motor and said fuel control device upon failure of said engine to become self-operative within a predetermined interval, said relay being subjected to control by current in the energizing circuit of said fuel control device and means responsive when said engine becomes selfoperative to deenergize said cranking'motor and to reduce the current in the energizing circuit of said fuel control device to a value sufllcient to hold said fuel control device in fuel admitting position and to also render said relay unresponsive.

5. The combination with a-water cooled internal combustion engine having a cranking motor and an electromagnetically operated fuel control device associated therewith, said fuel control device being normally held in off position and being responsive to admit fuel to said engine, of control means for energizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device to effect starting of said engine, an electro-thermal relay associated with said control means and responsive to deenergize said cranking motor and said fuel control device upon failure of said engine to become self-operative within a predetermined interval, said relay being subjected to control by current in the energizing circuit of said fuel control device, means responsive when said engine becomes self-operative to deenergize said cranking motor and to reduce the current in the energizing circuit of said fuel control device to a value suilicient to hold said fuel control device in fuel admitting position and to also render said relay unresponsive and means responsive to the temperature of the water in the cooling systemof said engine for deenergizing said fuel control device upon overheating of said engine.

6. The combination with a water cooled internal combustion engine having a pressure oiling system associated therewith, of a cranking motor and an electromagnetically operated fuel control vdevice for said engine, said fuel control device being normally held in a given off position and being responsive when energized to admit fuel to said engine, of means for simultaneously energizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device to effect starting of said engine and for automatically deenergizing said cranking motor and maintaining said fuel control device energized when said engine becomes self-operative. means associated with said former means for deenergizing said cranking motor and said fuel control device upon energization of said cranking motor for a predetermined interval, and means associated with said former means and responsive to a given temperature of the water in the cooling system of said engine and also upon failure of pressure in the oiling system of said engine for deenergizing said fuel control device.

WALTER O. BAER. EDWIN W. SEEGER. 

